What is Bullying?
It happens on the bus, on the playground, and even at the workplace. Anyone can be bullied. Adults and children feel bullying effects daily. A key to diffusing bullying is to understand the components and underlying processes involved in the phenomenon.
Bullying is a type of aggression. Research states that there are four types of aggression: hostility, anger, verbal aggression and physical aggression. Multiple types of aggression can be present in bullying.
Bullying requires two key components. First, is intentional harm or doing. If someone bumps into someone else, but the action was not intentional, it is not actually considered harmful, bullying, or aggressive. Individuals that bully, intentionally want to harm the intended subject. Research suggests that many who engage in bullying will actively search out their target. Bullying targets are perceived to have low dominance. Often, targets are considered ‘loaners.’
The second component is power imbalance. Power imbalance can be subjective (doctor, popularity) or objective (physical size, IQ). Bullying is likely to occur under particular circumstances in which the victim is not likely to be defended by others, retaliate, or evoke sympathy from others.
Power plays a huge role in our everyday life. At home and in the workplace, power is something we deal with every day. Parents have power over their kids and bosses have power over their employees. Even our government has power over the country. Power is defined as the ability to control the outcome of another due to owning more resources. These resources can be physical resources (money, food) or perceptive (dresses nice, attractive). The desire for power is instilled in us from a young age. Higher education gives the ability to gather more resources, thus power.
Why does bullying seem to hit our young people so badly? As adults, we have learned more problem solving and coping skills. Self-identity is stronger and most of us have peers to help us resolve bullying situations. Young people are still trying to find out who they are and develop their self-identity. When bullied, a young person can experience peer rejection, a feeling of lower social status, and dislike by others. These experiences can allow for second guessing the already young immature self-identity young people are trying to build. Doubting their weak self-identity can allow for the inability to cope with stress and maintain effective relationships. One example is a peer stating they are ‘stupid’ or ‘dumb.’ This bullying behavior may inhibit the individual’s ability to finish a term paper or project.
Research suggests that bullies bully others not just to have power, but to gain reward from their peers. Individuals are attracted to those that are perceived to have power. Often, popular individuals have power. Also, note that individuals may be labeled as accepted or popular, yet the same individual’s behavior may have a different label. You may really like and accept your best friend, but sometimes their behavior may be questionable.
Current bullying interventions include building a value-based community and school environment. Directing the use of power in a prosocial way such as community service opportunities, student council, and group/team leaders. Some school districts have developed bullying committees that define bullying, set standards, and provide appropriate consequences for bullying rule violations. Victimization may never completely disappear, but communities can educate and implement interaction to lower bullying incidents.